//------------------------------//
// Willing to sell for one shilling. 
// Story: Vaguely Familiar. 
// by Reptilicus 
//------------------------------//

	Fluttershy was worried. A statement that was redundant but true. In general the yellow pegasus was usually worried about something. When away from her private cottage near the river, her nerves were pretty much always working overtime. Constant horrible ideas and nagging thoughts picked at the peaceful recesses of her mind. Had she left enough food for her animals to eat? Had she locked the door? What if the beavers chewed the door off? Would the paint on the door be toxic and poison the beavers? Oh why didn't she buy non-toxic paint when she had the chance! What if her kittens tried to eat the birds while she was gone? Sure they seemed peaceful. But maybe the animals were just waiting for a chance to kill each other! After all she had a whole ecosystem of creatures in her home. Nature was bound to take its course.

She shook her head, her long light pink hair flailing in the wind. She was overreacting. Her animals always treated each other so sweetly. She took a deep breath of the cool morning air to calm her nerves. Such cool air....

What if it was too cold inside the house? What if her animals were cold? What if the bears fell into hibernation inside the house and she had to wake them up and ruined their internal sense of seasons? Would the fireplace be enough to keep the animals warm? Was it safe to leave the fireplace burning? What if the animals touched the fire? What if the wood flooring caught on fire? What if all the moss around the spout of the chimney caught on fire and her whole house became a blazing inferno of death? What if the burning house caused the entire forest to light up? Ponyville would be trapped inside a massive forest fire! Fluttershy would be tried for arson, and locked behind bars. They'd probably give her solitary confinement so that way 'Fireshy' wouldn't be able to burn any ponies every again. 

Once again she shook her head. What an amusing notion! She'd left the fireplace on tons of times and nothing bad had ever happened. She was worrying about nothing.

Was all this worrying bad? Was it affecting her health? All this stress and anxiety can't be a good thing. What if she started aging rapidly from all this worry? Rarity worried less than Fluttershy and was already getting crow's feet around her eyes that she covered with makeup. What if she started getting grey hairs from worrying so much? What if she ended up as a sad old pony that nobody wants anything to do with since she worries so much? What if her animals decided they no longer liked the new 'old' Fluttershy and decided to run away? What would she spend all her time on?

Relief came in the form of a soft wall made of stratus clouds held up by a marble column that struck her delicately in the forehead. She backed up and sighed happily. She had finally arrived at Dash's house. Now she could check up on her friend and simultaneously distract herself from the whirlwind of unending existential fury that was in her head. Fluttershy checked on the bags at her side just to be sure she brought everything.

Incense that smelled like roses, herbs from the Everfree forest, pine ash and mustard powder for poultices, coal phenol antiseptic to treat infection, iodine, a satchel of powders recommended by Zecora for treating injuries, and a record of relaxing clarinet music that Fluttershy enjoyed listening to and assumed Dash would as well. Fluttershy was no expert on natural remedies and treatments but having taken care of a veritable zoo of various creatures, she knew what brought results and what didn't. And at this point, she wanted her friend to feel as comfortable as possible. She approached the door quietly, her dainty hooves making almost no sound as she pushed the door open. There was the sound of someone talking coming from inside and that was followed by high-pitched giggling. The yellow pegasus slowly stuck her head in the cracked doorway to hear what was going on.

Dash was propped up on the couch with the pillows keeping her upright as she read from the passage of one of the Daring Do novels. She was reading aloud, her voice echoing through the room, and looking quite pleased with herself. In the back of the room near the stove was Pinkie, who seemed to be stirring a frothing mixture with a spoon while simultaneously listening intently to Dash read the story.

".....as Daring walked into the cave she could whiff the familiar stench of Winchell the Boggart. He wasn't a friendly fellow but he was a good source of information. And despite his reputation as a snitch, often found work doing the most heinous of crimes. He and Daring didn't see eye-to-eye on how the world and morality worked, but they had found that their camaraderie was beneficial for both. Winchell got to make a pretty penny off Daring by translating old world texts and identifying artifacts for her, while in turn Daring got an unending source of information that helped her track down the various treasure hunters that she wanted to see behind bars."

"Hey Dashie, uh.....sorry to interrupt the storytime but what is a boggart?" Pinkie asked. "Is it like a frog? A froggart?"

"What? No! They got nothin' to do with frogs. They're horrible little goblin dudes with big glowing eyes and hooves like deer. They're mostly jerks too. There used to be one in charge of maintenance of the icicle purification basin in the Weather Control office. That guy was awful. I don't think he was capable of saying anything without shouting."

"How funny!" Pinkie said with a small laugh. "There's so many neato critters living outside of Ponyville. One day I want to travel around and look at all the things. All the things! Also, I think this soup is done!"

"Oh good. I'm starved." Dash began to put the book away as Pinkie rounded the corner of the couch with a small steaming bowl of soup in her mouth.

"Oh no! Don't put the book away! This was just getting so interesting I want to know what happens with the froggart!" Pinkie protested as she sat in front of Dash, looking miffed.

"Boggart. Also I can't read and eat soup at the same time."

"Sure you can! If it's alphabet soup!" Pinkie chirped, scuttling forward with her head lowered. She squeezed under the book in Dash's outstretched hooves and placed herself into Dash's lap, pressing their bellies together but keeping her head at about the same level as Dash's neck. For a moment the two stared into each others eyes, transfixed. The momentary silence was broken by the loud grumble of a hungry stomach. Dash's cheeks went pink as Pinkie turned and grabbed the bowl, holding it up in her hooves.

"I can feed you soup while you read." smiled Pinkie as she put a small ladle of the contents into a spoon and clasped the handle in her teeth, bringing the utensil up to Dash's mouth gently. The pegasus devoured the contents, staring at Pinkie as she chewed.

"This is really good, Pinks. What is it?"

"Just broth and milk and alfalfa. Oh and salt! I thought it'd be good for you. It has a bunch of protein and stuff which Twilight said should help you get better." Pinkie replied sweetly, dipping the spoon back into the soup.

"You're too good to me, pal." Dash said with a grin, leaning forward to nuzzle the pink earth pony on her cheek, which elicited a happy giggle from her. "Well I guess I'll read while we eat."

Fluttershy sat staring wide-eyed at the scene before her. This was very strange. In the past Dash had been very quiet, almost ashamed about her reading ability. Not many pegasus could read, and as for Dash, she had considered it to be a hobby only enjoyed by nerds. But here she was reading aloud to Pinkie. But that wasn't the only strange thing. Dash was really stingy when it came to hugs or physical affection....yet...here she was with Pinkie sitting in her lap. It seemed so....intimate. And Dash was nuzzling someone? What on earth? What had happened to cause all this? Was the world ending?

She pressed her body against the door so it could swing open all the way and allow her entrance into the house. All at once she found her vision shrouded in shadow and a large cloth object landed on her head, covering it completely.

"Oh goodness!" Fluttershy shouted. "I'm blind!"

"Hey look! It worked! I told you it'd work!" came the approaching voice of Pinkie Pie. "You just have to fold the blanket a certain way and it works every time."

"Oh hey, Shy." came the voice of Dash. "I wanted to prank you with a pail of water on the doorframe but Pinkie thought that'd be too mean. So we used one of Rarity's blankets instead."

Fluttershy's vision was cleared as the blanket was pulled off her head and she stared into the joyous face of Pinkie.

"Wasn't that funny?" the pink earth mare bounced up and down in excitement. "I always like pranks when they keep everyone happy and nobody's feelings get hurt! Those are the best!"

"Yeah. A real chuckle bucket." Dash rolled her eyes, her voice dripping sarcasm. "We should have used the water."

"Oh." Fluttershy said, looking at the blanket that was now flopped to the floor. "I guess since you're pranking that means you're feeling better?"

"Yeah I'm feeling pretty great. Pinkie's takin' good care of me." Dash flashed a small grin at the pink mare. Fluttershy noticed the small blush that touched Pinkie's cheeks. There was definitely something up between these two. Somewhat worrying, like most things. Must investigate further. Best to seem oblivious for now.

"Did you bring all the stuff for cleaning my scabs n' stuff?" Dash asked, closing the book and placing it onto the couch. "I didn't want to take a bath after we applied it all. I smell like sweat and blood. Blechh!"

"Feel free to wash up." Fluttershy said as she began spilling the contents from her bag. "It's going to take me a little bit to mix this stuff together."

Dash slid off the couch and landed on the tile with a pained grunt. Casually limping she made her way into the bathroom. She hadn't taken a proper bath in some time, being too tired or hurt to dare. But as she approached the tub she felt quite excited. Some hot water would probably feel really relaxing on her battered joints. But she soon realized that there was going to be an issue. She needed to get into the tub first. Unlike a tree where she could leap up the trunk and grasp a branch, there was nothing to grab in the tub, and any sort of leap would lead to a face full of porcelain. With a grunt of annoyance Dash tried repeatedly to lift her body over the lip of the tub, kicking her good legs wildly. But through a combination of aching parts and movement-restricting bandages, she just couldn't make it in. A loud frustrated sigh escaped her as she sat angrily onto the bathmat.

"Looks like some pony needs help!"

Dash turned to see Pinkie peering through the bathroom doorway, beaming at her.

"You should have let me carry you, silly filly!"

"I don't need help getting into a bathtub."

"Then do it!" Pinkie said with a challenging tone, raising her eyebrows with a look of amusement.

Dash remained where she sat glaring at the tub, hoping if she glared enough it might be so polite as to tilt itself at an angle and let her in. But when that didn't work, she shot a quick angry glance at Pinkie who also had not moved and continued to smile innocently. Dash sighed quietly.

"Ha! I knew it! I knew it!" Pinkie sang as she lifted Dash into the air and gently deposited her into the basin. With a small flick of her hoof, the faucet was on, slowly filling the tub with warm tap water.

"I bet that feels really nice, huh? I always feel best after I take a nice hot bath. Sometimes I let Gummy swim around but then he gets all feral and tries to eat my foot so I put him back in his tank. But other than that I'd say hot baths are the best thing for relaxing. Better than sleeping, even!"

It would have been a lie to disagree. As the warm water filled the tub, the pegasus felt a deep sense of relief. Every sore spot, bruise, and aching bone seemed to melt away. The low steam and small splashes of water that hit her face only seemed to increase this feeling, bidding her to close her eyes and just enjoy the moment. To zone out. That feeling of weightlessness, the quiet hum of the faucet, the warmth that spread up from the heated liquid. So relaxing even, that Dash didn't even say a word when she felt a lathered brush begin to gently rub against her shoulder, making its way down her back and between her wings. Normally she'd have loved some privacy but this felt too darn good. This must be how Rarity feels when she goes to the spa, Dash thought. No wonder that pony is always in such a good mood. Maybe spas were kinda cool after all.

Dash felt the small pink hooves gently tear away at her, now soaked, bandages. Soon her injuries were exposed and bare, enjoying the pool of warmth as she was. Even the deep gash that ran along her stomach felt as if it was gone. What a feeling, and what a long time it had been since she'd felt this relaxed. This normal. Nothing to care about for now. Nothing to do but relax and let Pinkie bathe her. A small dollop of lilac shampoo dribbled on top of Dash's head. Compared to the warmth of the water, the shampoo might as well have been an ice cube dumped unceremoniously on her noggin. Her first instinct was to shake it off, but as soon as Pinkie began to gently massage it into Dash's hair and the tufts of fur around her ears, once again she found herself too relaxed to protest....well anything. A wrecking ball could come through the wall right now, destroying her house, and she wouldn't care. She was with her closest friend and feeling amazing.

Of course the amazing feeling was only due to her friend, thought Dash. Pinkie had done so much for Dash lately. And despite constantly asking her to take a break, the pink mare carried on, seeming more than happy to help Dash with all the little things she could no longer do on her own. It was endearing and cute and frustrating all at the same time.

"You don't gotta do this, Pinkie." Dash mumbled.

"I know but....I want to!" came the ever cheerful reply. Truth be told, she really did. Pinkie couldn't quite understand it but there was something very exciting about gently cleansing Dash's toned body. Feeling her muscles contract at the merest touch. Seeing the rough cyan hairs sparkle with new life.

Dash sighed but inside she was smiling. Can't really complain when someone is pampering you like this, right? She nickered quietly as the brush made its way across her chest and down her stomach, carefully avoiding the medical staples and wound. As the brush came around to the side near her neck again, it stopped. There was a mote of silence that made Dash turn to look at Pinkie. The pink mare had her head tilted, and her eyebrow raised in a look of confusion, staring at Dash's wings.

"How do yooouuuu......doooo....that thing where you straighten your feathers? Like what birds do."

"What? You mean preening?"

"Yeah! That thing! The preening thing!" she nodded vigorously.

"Oh. Well, some pegasus's use like creams and oils and brushes and crap to do it. Fluttershy is really into that. So is Cloud Kicker."

"But I guess you don't?"

"Nah, I do it the old fashioned way. Which is the best way. I don't like putting chemicals on something as sensitive as my feathers. Besides, pegasus wings produce their own oils and stuff to keep them waterproof. Like ducks."

"Oooh! I see ducks do that all the time."

"Yep. I just sort of put my feather into my mouth and kinda weave it through my lips, ya know? Get all the little barbs all going the same direction."

An awkward silence followed as Pinkie stared at Dash's wing. There a hopeful sort of gleam in Dash's eye. Like she knew what Pinkie wanted to ask but was too afraid to encourage the mare. Pinkie folded her ears flat against her head, feeling very shy for the first time in a long time. Her breathing and heartrate quickened, biting her lip a bit before she put the rag back on the side of the tub.

"C....could I ....." she motioned at Dash's wing with her hoof.

Very slowly Dash extended the limb. A wing was such an important part of a pegasus. It allowed them to show emotions easier. Sense changes in climate. They used it to protect their children. As a shield against debris. As a weapon to fight with. As a mark of honor amongst the races. But most importantly it allowed them to fly. Dash began to tremble as she extended her wing to Pinkie who very gently placed her hoof on it. It was such a small gesture, the very light press of a hoof against the sensitive digits that held the feathers in place, but the sensations it caused were frightening. A quiet squeak of fright escaped Dash and she immediately pulled the wing back, trembling even harder. Pinkie drew her hooves back in a similar frightened gesture, thinking she'd managed to hurt her friend. For a moment they sat silently, feeling awkward.

"Sorry, Pinks." Dash choked out. "They're really sensitive. I kinda panicked."

"It's okie dokie. I thought I'd touched a really sensitive spot or something by accident."

"No...I'm just.....these are my bread and butter. I don't know how I'd live without them and I've already ruined them twice in the last few weeks. I'm...just.....be careful..." She began trembling again, unfolding the cyan mass of feathers back outward.

"I'll be extra super especially careful." Pinkie whispered as she slowly brushed the feathers with the tip of her hoof, trying to straighten them out. Every small wave of her foreleg and pressure against the wing caused Dash to emit a small high pitched grunt or squeak. Pinkie grew frightened she was hurting Dash until she leaned over to look at the pegasus's face. Dash's eyes were closed tightly and every small sound that escaped her throat didn't seem to be out of pain but more out of the strange sort of pleasant sensation that was being caused. It was very cute, she thought, to hear these sort of weird happy noises come out of Dash. However there was very little progress on the straightening.

"I don't think this is working very well." Pinkie mentioned as she turned her head left and right observing the entangled mess of feathers. "They're still all sticking out in all sorts of directions."

Dash cursed quietly. She had an idea for how to fix this situation but....oh, Celestia. This was going to be really bizarre.




********************************



Fluttershy sat stoically at the table. It had been difficult to get all the ingredients for the poultices ready. A slow and steady process of smashing all the minerals and herbs together until they had formed a sort of thick sediment soup. Now she sat staring at several small blobs of the mixture, each wrapped tenderly in a soft cloth barely above the strength of a tissue. Perfect and ready for application to injured flesh. The difficulty hadn't been in the preparation of the poultices but in the trying to keep focus. At first she'd been happy to not have Pinkie Pie sitting at the table, constantly badgering her with questions about what each herb did and where they came from and what made an herb different from any other plant. All simple questions with very long answers. And for someone as quiet as Fluttershy, they were answers she was in no mood to give. 

But the silence that had filled the air after Pinkie went to check up on Dash was...unnerving. And in the minutes that followed, the silence was broken by very quiet giggling and the splashing of water. What on earth were those two doing in there? Something fun, no doubt. But at the same time they had both been acting so strange lately. Did she dare take a peek into the bathroom? Dash usually got offended if anyone sneaked around her home. But then again Pinkie was in there too so did it really count as sneaking? 

Fluttershy wrestled with her conscience. How could she peek in there without bothering the other two. Oh! It was getting late. She could simply use the excuse of needing to get lunch for her animals. Then if Dash complained, she could easily use that to fix the situation. A watertight alibi. How perfectly clever! With a light fluttering of her wings she landed on the tile and slowly peeked her head around the doorframe of the washroom. What she saw made her go white.

Pinkie had her head squished into the fold of Dash's wing, several feathers in her mouth and humming happily as she preened them. Her hooves were fighting a losing battle with Dash whose face was blushing bright red and she giggled aloud, trying to free her wing from Pinkie's clutches, sending water splashing over the edge of the tub to the floor.

"Oh goodness!" Fluttershy squeaked as she flushed and dove out of the doorframe. Now she KNEW something was up. Pegasi didn't just preen each others wings whenever they wanted! It wasn't like braiding hair. It was a very intimate activity, shared by those a pony loved most. But that meant Dash was perfectly ok with having Pinkie do THAT. And Fluttershy had witnessed their intimacy in broad daylight. Her cry of fear apparently hadn't gone unheard as within moments she heard a loud splash and quiet mumbling followed by Pinkie and Dash both exiting the bathroom, their cheeks still very pink.

"I'M LATE FOR FEEDING ANIMALS!!!!!!!!" Fluttershy shouted. Her backup idea had now become a deranged excuse to get out of the cottage and escape this embarrassing situation. "DASH. BANDAGES."

Dash limped over to where Fluttershy sat, staring at the floor as the poultices were wrapped tightly against her body wounds with the rolls of gauze. Pinkie coughed politely and sat a few feet away, doing her best to stare at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting ceiling in the world and wanted everyone to stay thirsty. Once the bandages were done, Dash shuffled away while Fluttershy quickly gathered her things and bolted for the front door. But as she reached it a thought struck her. This was Rainbow Dash she was running from. Her childhood friend. The pony who had rescued her from bullies, dragons, and countless other dangers. And as a friend, Fluttershy needed to make sure Dash was safe.

"Pinkie...." Fluttershy called. "May I....speak with you...um....outside?"

"Yeah of course!" Pinkie answered, turning to nudge the bowl of soup to Dash who was climbing back onto the couch. "Eat the rest of your soup before it gets too cold. We can read more later."

She trotted out onto the front steps where Fluttershy sat. 

"What did you want to talk with me about?" Pinkie asked quietly. "If it's about the thing that just happened...I was just preening her. She asked me to do it and I said yes. I didn't know she'd be so ticklish."

Fluttershy took a deep breath.

"Um....well....it's partly about that. But partly about other things."

"Okay. What other things? Is this about me forgetting to give her medicine a couple of days ago cause I already apologized to her and Twilight a whole bunch already. I'm running out of ways to say sorry and it's a very big list!"

"No...I know you're taking good care of Dash. Excellent care.....actually. She trusts you a lot, Pinkie."

"I know!"

"No....I don't think you do. Pinkie I've known Dash since....uh...well I'm not even sure anymore. My entire life. She's never been comfortable with having anyone touch her OR her wings. And other than the night where she tried to tear her feathers out, that's the first time I've ever even seen her personal grooming area. She's very private."

Pinkie nodded.

"She trusts you more than she trusts me or Applejack or anyone. She really likes you, Pinkie. And I know you're a very um.....social pony. You're really friendly with a lot of ponies. And you don't mind invading personal space if you can make others smile. Which is both good and bad in ways I guess....but its also sort of what makes you special....."

"What are you trying to get at?" Pinkie said waveringly.

"I....hmm. I don't want her to get hurt. And I'm frightened that....if she's this fond of you already....she's going to have a very hard time getting back on her feet when you eventually decide to go back home and.....oh....I can't......" Fluttershy whimpered.

Pinkie's eyes grew wide. "What's going on here? You're not making any sense and normally I'm really good at understanding things that don't make sense. So your non- sense-making must be even more unsense than usual. Even for me!"

"Ok. Let me try it a different way. Pinkie I try to stay out of my friends personal lives but....I need to ask you a question. It's a very private sort of question and you might not want to answer it right away. And that's fine....but...I really need to know because Dash is my friend and I don't.....want her to get hurt."

The hairs on the back of Pinkie's neck stood up. She knew what the question was going to be. She'd rehearsed it in her mind a few thousand times. How to tell her friends this secret. The most eloquent and funniest way to state her feelings without making everyone feel weird and possibly ruining friendships. Pinkie was no queen of etiquette but she knew what a social faux-pas was. And her secret was a time bomb that had been quietly waiting inside her, slowly biding its time til it could explode and ruin everything. And now Fluttershy was about to light the fuse. Pinkie took a deep breath and tried to appear calm, but she shook like a leaf.

"Pinkie....uh.....do you......love Rainbow?"

Thousands of times Pinkie had rehearsed her answers on how to answer this question should it ever come up. And in the briefest of moments they were gone and the very talkative earth pony found herself speechless. Her mind raced and came up empty. How? She was so good at this. So good at finding something new to say. So good at getting out of these sort of situations. Something has to be around here to jar her memory. Her eyes darted around briefly as she tried to think. Oh what was the use....Fluttershy was going to hate her anyway. Pinkie looked to the floor as large tears began to fall from her eyes, absorbing into the cloud.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. It happened and I didn't know how it happened and I've been trying to hide it but it's so hard and I'm sorry. Please don't make me leave."

"Oh Pinkie. How long have you felt this way?"

"Since she moved here to Ponyville."

Fluttershy pulled Pinkie over for a comforting hug, squeezing her tightly as the weeping died down to a quiet sniffling. Pinkie looked up at Fluttershy, her blue eyes filled with terror and confusion.

"You....aren't upset?"

"I'm just upset it took you this long to tell someone. Pinkie....you shouldn't hide your feelings inside of yourself. That's so just...awful for you. Why didn't you tell me? Or Rarity? You know we'd understand."

"Dashie is my friend and when I realized that I liked her more than that I...I...I got really really scared cause she was so cool and amazing and she thought I was annoying and I'd never fallen in love before. I didn't even know I liked mares til then. And then Twilight came here and I tried to be a better friend for Dash and she liked me and I just felt like I could do anything and I was so happy. I had the prettiest most bestest pegasus in the world hanging out with me and she even thought I was cool and it's not right for me to feel this way because she's my friend. Friends shouldn't fall in love with their friends. What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you Pinkie."

"Then why is it like this? I thought falling in love was supposed to be something magical. Like one day we'd just be doing pranks or running around the park and she'd look at me and think I'm pretty or something and then we'd hit it off. Destiny would decide we were best for each other and then we'd be happy. But I knew she didn't think that way and I hid it so well and then she got hurt and I realized how much I liked her and I don't even know how she feels about me and....and....I feel so dumb. I've ruined everything."

"Pinkie love isn't about magic or fate or destiny. Love is....well...it's about finding someone you can stand to be around for more than ten minutes at a time. Someone whom you don't have to think twice about everything with. Someone you feel a special connection to."

Pinkie wiped her eyes and sniffled. "Really?"

"Yes. And I can tell Dash likes you a lot Pinkie. She's like a walnut....she's really tough on the outside but inside she's always been a big softie. I've never seen her like someone as much as she likes you. Ever. Have you been doing any...um....couple related things?"

"We'll I convinced her to snuggle with me at Applejack's party and after that she wanted to snuggle all the time and sometimes she likes to rub her cheek on my neck. Is...that good?"

"That's wonderful Pinkie." Fluttershy cooed, her eyes lighting up. "She's found someone she's comfortable enough around to let herself be.....herself. And it's with you. Someone who already likes her. Oh this is wonderful it couldn't be more perfect!"

"So.....you think theres a chance that......"

"Oh I think its guaranteed. She loves you, Pinkie. BUT....you really should let her figure this out on her own, alright?"

"How come?"

"Dash is....um....she has a lot of repressed emotions. She can't express herself very well and she gets really....skittish with this sort of stuff. When we were little she would always act out because it made her feel like she was worth something. And when it didn't work she'd always try to hide away. It took me a very long time just to get her to come to Ponyville. She basically lived by herself, thinking that having friends was....silly."

"So I shouldn't try to....."

"Don't try to force it. Let her figure it out naturally. Or of course if it takes too long you could always just kiss her!"

Pinkie's face went bright red. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet, Flutters. Just having her hold me gives me butterflies in my tummy and makes me feel all weird and stuff."

"I'm just teasing you, Pinkie!" Fluttershy said with a giggle. "Actually doing that would probably scare her away for a while. I wouldn't recommend it."

"What should I do then?"

"Just be her friend and enjoy your time together. She'll come around. I just know it Pinkie. Oh...I'm so happy for you! And Dash! This is so-"

The front door of the house swung open as Dash limped out onto the front steps to join Pinkie and Fluttershy. She flopped onto her back, patting her full stomach and staring at the sun as it moved its way past the noon position in the sky.

"Hey gals. What's the hold-up out here?"

"Oh nothing, Dash. Pinkie and I were just....um....talking about Gummy's health."

"How is ol' Gummy anyway?"

"HE'S GOOD." Pinkie shouted, feeling very uncomfortable and sweating profusely.

"Okay........" Dash raised an eyebrow. "Actually I came out here cause there's something I wanna talk about. I've been doing some thinking and I got an idea. I think it's a really good idea but I wanted to run it by you both first."

"Why us?" asked Fluttershy.

"Cause you're both my best friends and I wanted your advice. Right, so I've been trying to think about how I want to help the other ponies who got hurt in the crash. There was a lot of them and some of them are still in the hospital and can't pay for their medical stuff. So I was thinking why don't I just like.....take all my life savings and just divide it up between the hurt pony's families? I mean that seems like a good option right? Help 'em recover from all this."

"Dash...um....that's a great idea....but you don't really have much money." Fluttershy replied with as polite of a smile as she could muster.

"You don't know what I make! I could be rich and you wouldn't even..."

A small glare from Fluttershy silenced Dash's tirade.

"Ok yeah I don't have much. But it's all I can really do. I have nothing else to offer them."

"You should save it for your own medical expenses for now."

"Speaking of. Hey, Pinks, where did all my mail and stuff go?"

"T-Twilight took it away..... she s-said that it was bad for you to r.....read." Pinkie meeped, gulping audibly.

"Sounds like something Twi would do. What's wrong, Pinkie? You're looking kinda freaked out. What'd I miss?"

"NOTHING!!" Pinkie shouted loudly as she backflipped through a window, back into the cottage interior. 

"She's so weird, sometimes." Dash mumbled. "But I guess that's why I like having her around."

"Dash...do you really feel like this is something you NEED to do?" Fluttershy asked, her face etched with concern. "Giving away everything is such a big deal. Is there no other way?"

"Nah. I'm pretty sure this is the right thing to do. For once in my life I'm really sure this is exactly what I need to do."

"How come?"

"I think I've managed to forgive myself. But that doesn't mean that I get to just lay around and act like nothing happened. Act like I wasn't a part of this event and I don't hold a large chunk of responsibility. I've been friggin' lucky, Fluttershy. I survived a deadly crash, I didn't lose any limbs, I had Celestia and Luna watching my back. I had you guys to support me. And I've gotten to spend all my time since then with Pinkie which has been....I can't even describe it, Shy. It's been great. I'm really REALLY fortunate. But those other ponies weren't. It's not fair to them."

"I guess I can see it from that perspective."

"Cool. Gonna head to Cloudsdale Clinic as soon as I can and spread some love. See if I can't get a few smiles out of it, ya know?"

Fluttershy chuckled. "Smiles, huh? I guess Pinkie is really rubbing off on you, huh?"

"Yeah...." mumbled Dash as the sun began its slow descent to mark the beginning of the afternoon. "I think she is."